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By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

¹ O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ^(a)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly ^(b)portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: ^(c)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by ^(d)hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(e)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[a] the flesh? ^4 (f)Did you suffer^[b] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and ^(g)works miracles among you do so ^(h)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as ⁽ⁱ⁾Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?

⁷ Know then that it is ^(j)those of faith who are ^(k)the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(l)God would justify^[c] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(m)"In you shall all the nations be blessed." ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are ⁽ⁿ⁾under a curse; for it is written, ^(o)"Cursed be everyone who does not ^(p)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(q)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(r)"The righteous shall live by faith."^{[d] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(s)"The one who does them shall live by them." ¹³ Christ ^(t)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(u)"Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(v)on a tree"— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(w)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(x)we might receive ^(y)the promised Spirit^[e] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15 (z)To give a human example, brothers:^{[f] (aa)}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶ Now ^(ab)the promises were made ^(ac)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, ^(ad)"And to your offspring," who is Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(ae)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(af)to make the promise void. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^(ag)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(ah)It was added because of transgressions, ^(ai)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(aj)put in place through angels ^(ak)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(al)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(am)God is one.

²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(an)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²² But the Scripture ^(ao)imprisoned everything under sin, so that ^(ap)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^(aq)to those who believe.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(ar)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(as)the law was our ^(at)guardian until Christ came, ^(au)in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus ^(av)you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as ^(aw)were baptized ^(ax)into Christ have ^(ay)put on Christ. ^28 (az)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[g] nor free, ^(ba)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(bb)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(bc)heirs according to promise.